21 April 2010
Psalm 38; Exod. 19:16-25; Col. 1:15-23; Matt. 3:13-17

Why does God prohibit the people from breaking through and seeing Him? They have consecrated themselves and yet even then they are kept at a distance. He later tells Moses that even he cannot “see” His face and live. The holiness of God cannot be fully comprehended and is, in fact, dangerous. We know little about true holiness and the nature of that holiness. The writer of Hebrews says our God is a consuming fire and in the Old Testament great care is always necessary to come near to God. In the tabernacle and temple it is forbidden to enter the holy place by anyone but the priests whose lives are consecrated to His service and to any but the high priest to enter the holy of holies and then once a year after careful preparation. The incarnation of Jesus, God come into the world, is an amazing thing for this very reason.

Jesus, the only man who ever lived on this earth without sin, condescends to accepting the baptism of John for the repentance of sins. Here He begins to identify with fallen humanity, Jews and Gentiles alike in obedience to the Father. How do we know it was an act of obedience? The response from heaven tells us, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” The work of identifying with us in our sinfulness has begun, the work that ends with the complete identification at the cross.

This passage from Colossians is a wonderful start to the day, reminding us who Jesus is, was, and always will be. Paul here is caught up into the rapturous contemplation of Jesus, the Jesus whom he formerly rejected and persecuted, the Jesus who spoke to him on the road to Damascus and rescued him from his sinful intentions and gave him a place in His service. Paul understood the grace he had received, the grace that had been required for him to see God in the face of Jesus. He hadn’t recognized the God whom he believed he was serving. He hadn’t recognized holiness and righteousness when he saw it. The hope Paul speaks of is only in the Gospel, the revelation of Jesus revealing the Father, and it is this Gospel Paul says that he serves as a slave. He has seen not only holiness and righteousness in Jesus, he has seen also the love, mercy and grace of God and lives to tell of Him. Do we?

O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath!
There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!